Paths
by deletors
Summary: Void is awakening once again, this time with the ambition of making sure no one can stop it. To do this, it wipes out the bonds Aichi and Kai had taken ages to build up, along with every single memory of each other. Now Aichi has to start his journey all over again... and find a person he no longer knows. Kaichi. Set after Neon Messiah.
1. Prolouge

_**Well my other chapter fanfictions are becoming disasterous to the point where I'm literally trying to grope for a good ending like finding a needle in a haystack, so I'm just going to start out fresh.**_

* * *

Wind howled in the vast darkness, a silent shriek penetrating the still night and disturbing the naked branches of withered trees that decorated the barren forest.

A red silhouette blurred as it moved along with it's owner. The sound of dirt rattled as the shadowy being walked across the barren earth, but that was the only noise he made as he came closer and closer to his destination.

Red hues flicked sharply as he suddenly halted, arriving at a patch of scarred and blackened earth, and rasped out a name.

"Void."

The sight of the ebony earth stirring was barely visible in the dim moonlight, but the immoral presence that lingered there made one thing certain. Void, the indefinite being of nothingness, was here.

"**Ah, Ibuki Kouji.**" A voice hissed, a voice that sounded like nails scratching a chalkboard. "**You came back.**"

Ibuki's eyes narrowed into slits. "You know why, don't you?"

"**Yes...**" Void sighed. "**You have failed to bring out the Messiah and end life on Cray.**"

The red slit on the figure closed. "You're not angry, my lord. Why is that?"

A dark chuckle slashed his ears. "**I couldn't be angry. I have failed to end Cray so many times, and I couldn't expect a mere human to carry out the destruction of a powerful dimension. Besides...**"

A gust of wind blew omniously.

"**You are still loyal to me.**"

Ibuki's lips curled into a barely visible smile. "Of course, my lord. Do you doubt my loyalty?"

"**No...**" The nothingness hissed, but now seemed exasperated. "**But there is another reason why you have stayed... Another reason why you are still so malicious. So what is that reason, Ibuki Kouji?**"

"I would never be forgiven even if I returned pure, my lord." The grey haired man answered. "That is the reality of this damned world."

Void cackled. "**You would help me destroy the very earth you stand on?****"**

"Of course."

The wind shrieked again as crumbling pieces of earth skipped across the ground, making a certain type of tension as Void hissed, "**But no... I cannot achieve that yet. I have to regain my power... I have to be patient...**"

Void had used energy to create Link Joker, the deletors, and of course, wasted that power as the saviors of Earth had shattered its creations. Just the thought of it made Void seethe, the black earth it inhabited crumbling to dust as it fumed. Ibuki monitored this cautiously.

"So until then, what will you do?"

The dust curled into smoke as a gust picked it up. "**Aichi Sendou and Kai Toshiki... For some reason, they have always been able to stop each other when they believe in each other. That feeling is so passionate, it could practically be called love.**"

Ibuki raised an eyebrow. "Then how will you stop them, my lord?"

"**For now, I must use what little power I have left to somehow seperate them. I cannot afford to use any power only to have it go to waste and wipe me out forever. When I have become powerful enough, from there I can wipe out life without anyone blocking my way.**"

The wind subsided, pieces of grit halting in their steps. "**Yes... I must seperate them. I must make their paths parallel, so they can never cross again." **Despite the wind stopping, the black earth lashed excitedly.

Ibuki cleared his throat. "If it helps in any way, my lord, Kai Toshiki is already far away from Aichi Sendou. He is in Europe, and it seems that it will be a while before they meet again."

The nothingness hissed with delight. "**Then my work is almost finished. All I need to do now is keep them apart while I awaken.**"

Ibuki nodded, and the blackened earth began to disperse. The gray haired man took this as a signal to depart, and began to head back to the barren path he had taken, but not before hearing Void murmur.

"**Yes..." **it hissed. "**Everything is going as planned.**"


	2. Chapter 1

_"Wait, Kai kun!"_

_Aichi panted as he broke into an endless run, chasing after the brunet that was strides ahead of him, his shadow white against the blue emptiness he was walking on.  
_

_"Kai-kun! Kai-kun!" He breathed, breaking into a sprint. He wasn't really the most athletic kid ever, and he felt his lungs burn with each step he took._

_Aichi felt joy blossom in him as his efforts made him get closer to Kai, running on Kai's sheer white shadow, only for the heartfelt moment to be shattered when he was suddenly shoved back by a strange invisible force._

_The bluenet tumbled on the ground, looking up with horror as his beloved was enveloped in a black miasma, the pure darkness radiating maliciousness. He could only scream as the ivory black clouds covered the dark blue surroundings around him, shades of azure fading into ebony as he was tugged into the darkness, his last dying screams echoing in the vast emptiness._

* * *

Aichi broke into a gasp.

The bluenet got up, panting heavily, tangled blue locks being flung in his face as he suddenly got up. It took a while for him to register the sudden change in his surroundings, being in a voided chasm of a dream and then suddenly waking up to be in his little bedroom.

He glanced at the alarm clock that rested on the nightstand, which read _6:49 PM. _Letting out deep breaths, Aichi shakily climbed out of bed.

_Another nightmare. _He silently grimanced, and tried to remember it. The last few images of his horrific dream was slipping away, but Aichi caught that one name he had shouted.

_"Kai-kun!"_

A pang of terror shivered through him as he suddenly became horrified at the thought of losing his grasp on that one name, as if his life depended on it. Just saying the name made warmth spread through him like oozing warm honey pooling in his stomach.

And yet, he couldn't recall who's name it belonged to.

The bluenet frowned as he tried to remember, silently scanning the images in his head. But they all were familiar, and he could remember all their names and their smiles and appearances.

_So then, who's Kai-kun?_

Aichi shook his head, frustrated, finally deciding that he was making a fuss out of nothing. But as he climbed out of bed, he couldn't help but feel empty, as if someone stole half of him.

_I'll worry about it later. _He mused, trying to flatten his blue hair as he grabbed his clothes out of the closet, trying his best to ignore the nagging feel of nostalgia. But unfortunately for poor Aichi, the conflicting thoughts in his head gave him a headache.

The bluenet moaned and silently cursed to himself as he staggered out of his room and into the bathroom, walking into the little room and beginning his regular routine.

Aichi performed his daily tasks, brushing his hair, his teeth, and changing his clothes-

Aichi paused.

He had forgotten to take his clothes with him to the bathroom.

He immediately felt flustered and embarrassed with himself, and began to fuss over it, pacing around and scolding himself out loud.

_"You're cute sometimes, Aichi." _A deep voice rang in his head.

_Kai-kun! _Was his first thought as he spun around, looking for the owner of that voice, only to find nothing.

Aichi grit his teeth in frustration. Lingering around and being frustrated seemed like the only thing he could do.

Aichi walked back to his room, quickly changing into his normal outfit, and snatched his deck off the nightstand. As he looked at the deck, the first card seemed to shimmer with that familiar radiance he had known for all his life.

_Vanguard will help me with this mess! _

He lifted up the front card, a white warrior dressed in spiked regal armor, in that pose that he was in when he had first set his eyes on that card.

Blaster Blade.

This card spoke to him. It was his very first card, given to him by... by...

_Kai-kun?_

Aichi frowned, scratching his head. _I can't be sure that he gave me this card yet. But I know he's important to me! I have to find him._

And with that thought in his head, he set off for Card Capital.


	3. Chapter 2

Aichi steadily walked toward the direction of Card Capital. As he walked on the brick sidewalk, he glanced out of the corner of his eye at the lake beside the railing. Soft shades of blue swirled around and glittered white in the sun. Aichi smiled. The sight of the lake soothed him.

As he walked, and felt a gust of wind, his white jacket bellowing behind him as a blur of red and grey whooshed past him. The bluenet paused, now curious.

_Was that Kai kun?_

The bluenet turned around to see the stranger run to the distance, spiked red hair swishing from side to side as he ran, and with every step he took, a lock of pink hair poked out from his head. Aichi frowned, watching him run until he was a speck in the distance.

_I'm not getting a pang of nostalgia... Maybe he's just a kid I've never seen before. _He mused, continuing to walk to the direction of his favorite shop.

* * *

The familiar glass doors slid open before him, revealing the inside of the shop that was full of loitering kids, a smile on all of their faces. The joy expressed on their faces made Aichi smile, knowing that they would always have fun playing Vanguard.

"Welcome."

The boy jumped as a female voice sounded next to him, and whipped around to see Misaki smiling at him.

"Ah, Misaki-san!" He greeted, and stopped to look at her. Now that he was paying more attention to her features, he noticed that she looked slightly older, with her hair tied up in a black hairtie.

Aichi couldn't help but let his smile grow bigger. That black ribbon was from Kourin, the blonde idol that had forgotten about her adventures with Vanguard and her friends. A pang of sadness ran through him as he remembered the distant look she had on her face when she looked at Aichi.

_No. _The bluenet shook his head. _I'll get her back someday._

Aichi suddenly tensed. _Wait. If I can get Kourin's memories back, will she remember Kai-kun?_

And as he was about to think deeper, a hoot jolted him back to reality.

"Hey, Aichi!"

Said bluenet turned around to see Naoki waving at him, his drooped yellow eyes brightened. The redhead had been holding a reputation of being the first to greet him everyday.

Shingo obviously didn't approve of that. "Ishida, you shouldn't yell so loudly." He sniffed, but on his face, it was clear that he wanted to be the one to greet the bluenet first.

Aichi laughed nervously as the two began a quarrel, and turned around to see Miwa sitting on the table, cardfighting a couple of kids.

"Attack!"

As the blonde twisted the card in the front column, a card fell in the damage zone, making the total number of cards there six.

"I lost again..." The kid moaned, scratching his head, and Miwa laughed, patting him roughly on the back.

"No problem, kiddo." He grinned. "Come and kick my butt next time."

The blonde haired kid that had lost now had a smile on his face, and yelled his thanks as he ran back to the doors of the shop, leaving Miwa and Aichi to look at each other.

The blonde gave Aichi his impish smile. "Hey, Aichi!"

_Miwa has something to do with Kai kun. _He thought, not returning his smile, and Miwa blinked at him.

"Is something troubling you?"

Aichi grabbed his wrist (although very gingerly, because, well, he's Aichi) and looked at him straight in the eye. "Miwa, I need to talk to you."

The blonde blinked at how sincere Aichi was, but plastered his jolly grin on his face again. "You can tell me anything, _mate!_"

And at that word, both of them suddenly winced. Once again, Aichi got the rushing feeling of his adrenaline reacting to his nostalgia. Miwa seemed to be experiencing the same thing, because he blinked, suddenly confused at himself.

_Mate... Mate... Mate... Why is that word so familiar?_

Aichi scrunched his nose.

_And why do I feel slightly annoyed at it?_

Miwa's voice jolted him back into reality, and he glanced back at him, startled. Miwa grinned. "So what did you want to tell me?"

Aichi stared into his clear grey eyes. "Do you know someone named Kai?"

The name made Miwa jolt, his eyes suddenly clouding, as if someone told him that his mother died. For a moment, Miwa looked befuddled, rubbing his forehead and muttering "I do... wait, do I? It rings a bell, but..."

Aichi frowned, and slipped his hand into his pocket, his tender fingers touching his smooth deck case. He pulled it out, and took out the first card, Blaster Blade.

At that moment, Miwa looked like he had a heart attack. "Blaster Blade! But..." He paused, collecting what he had left of his composture to look confused. "But... Ibuki gave you that, right? Why does this relate to Kai?"

The bluenet gaped. Ibuki? Ibuki gave it to him? The bluenet dug back in his fuzzy memory, finding no collections of remembering that Blaster Blade was given by... Ibuki. He scratched his head. Heck, he forgot how he even _met _the guy.

The grey eyed blonde suddenly turned to Misaki. "Hey, Misaki, Blaster Blade was given to Aichi by Ibuki, right?"

The lavender haired girl blinked. "Yeah, of course."

Aichi's jaw dropped three inches lower. "He did?! But... I have no memory of him doing so."

The two friends looked startled at his claim, and Miwa turned back to look at him, his grey eyes seeming to pierce through his soul like a sword. "You don't remember? He gave you that card, saved you from Psyqualia, was even saved by _you _when he accepted reverse, and retrieved you while you had the seed."

The blue haired boy blinked, stunned. If his head hurt a while ago, he had no idea how he should describe the way it felt now. "He.. He did all that?"

Misaki frowned. "Your world has opened up since the day you met him. Why do you seem so uncertain? Did you hit your head?"

"Hmm? Who hit their head?"

A deep voice that rang out from the entrance of the shop made them all jump. The three of them spun around to see Ibuki standing at the entrance, wearing a white coat. Now, Aichi was so confused he wanted to stuck his head in the ground and be on with his life.

But resentment burned in the pits of Aichi's stomach as he gazed at Ibuki. Long grey hair that took a natural shape of an oval, bangs partially covering his ruby eyes that were glazed with a certain understanding, and his cold smile, they all made him want to scowl. And the first thing he thought when he saw him was,

_You didn't open up my world. Kai-kun did. So then, who are you?_


	4. Chapter 3

Aichi silently watched as his friends flocked around the grey haired man, exchanging greetings with him.

"How's it been, Ibuki?" Naoki hooted, heavily flinging an arm around Ibuki.

The grey haired man grunted, obviously not pleased with the pressure on his arm. "All has been well, Ishida. But I think I heard something about someone hitting their head?"

Aichi tried to shrink away, but Miwa pointed him out with a grin, not knowing that the bluenet didn't want to communicate with him. "He thinks someone named Kai gave him that Blaster Blade instead of you."

_Miwa! _He silently screamed at the blonde, and looked back at Ibuki. Through a couple of microseconds, Ibuki looked shocked, before slipping back into a mask of calm, and silently walked up to Aichi. The bluenet forced himself to sit in place, stiffening as the man's icy cold hand traveled on top of his forehead.

"Aichi, are you sure you're not sick?" Ibuki frowned, staring into Aichi's uncertain and tense look. "We're your friends. You don't have to hide anything from us. We won't be angry."

_Yeah right!_ Aichi silently snapped in his head, but instead of saying that out loud, he gave Ibuki the most convincing facial expression he could manage and looked up at him. "Uh, Ibuki, can I talk to you in the park?"

The grey haired man paused, looking as if he was carefully considering what to do, making Aichi even more sure that he had somehow messed up Aichi's life. But finally, he nodded, and turned to walk out of the shop, beckoning the bluenet to follow. Aichi walked after him, trying his best not to let his mask slip as murmurs from his friends rumbled around him.

"Is Aichi okay? He seems tense."

"Maybe he hit his head, like you said earlier."

"I hope he's alright."

The bluenet shook his head, and forced himself to walk beside Ibuki, and studied his face again. His face was unreadable, emotionless, but his eyes were sparking as if to say, _Something's wrong._

But they got to the park (with Aichi fighting a scowl every step of the way) and they sat on a bench.

"Were you concerned about something?" The grey haired man inquired after some silence.

Aichi remained silent. _Should I confront him? Should I ask him questions and see how he reacts?_

The bluenet frowned. _Wait. Why am I so sure he's an impostor or something? Am I just overreacting? _

"Aichi!"

A soft shake snapped him out of his thoughts, and he turned to face Ibuki again, frowning.

"Ibuki.. I have this weird feeling that you shouldn't be in my life." He confessed, and the grey haired man looked surprised.

"Why is that?"

"It's just kind of a feeling.." Aichi muttered, putting a hand to his heart.

Ibuki suddenly gave Aichi a look of amusement and smiled. "Aichi, it's alright to be silly once and a while, but don't do anything funny, alright?"

The bluenet widened his eyes. _A friend that stayed with me for a long time would never say that! He's definitely something out of place._

"Aichi? Is something wrong?"

The bluenet gave him a cold look. "What are you planning?"

Ibuki looked genuinely surprised. "Huh?"

"You don't belong in my life."

The grey haired man stared at him as if he had two heads, and reached out to him. "Aichi-"

"Don't touch me!" The bluenet snapped. "Tell me what's going on! Who's Kai kun? Who are _you?"_

The first signs of Ibuki's scowl was showing. "Did you..."

"Tell me who Kai-kun is!" The bluenet shrieked, taking a step forward. Aichi supposed he didn't really seem that intimidating, because Ibuki didn't flinch, and remained silent, finally showing his true colors. He gave Aichi a cold look, hostility disturbing the peaceful atmosphere.

"So you know? I didn't expect for you to find out that fast. Either that or something in my act was flawed. I wouldn't know, because I don't spend much time lingering around idiots like you." He sneered.

"Ibuki, I don't know what your planning." Aichi said, suddenly desperate. "But please tell me what's going on."

Aichi's heart sank when Ibuki just cocked his head. "Suddenly hostile, suddenly desperate. You're no better at concealing motives than I am."

The bluenet frowned, beginning to back away. "I don't know what you're planning, but you won't get away with it!"

A malevolent smile suddenly graced the grey haired man's lips, his cold fingers traveling to his pocket as he lifted out his deck, showing the front card to the bluenet. Aichi widened his eyes, as he silently examined the card.

Woksis. Deletors.

Link Joker.

"Let me tell you this... Sendou Aichi. You are worthless without comrades." The deletor vanguard rattled, and Aichi's uneasiness heightened.

_What does that mean?! Is he going to do something to my friends?!_ "Don't you touch my mates! This is between you and me! Leave them out of this!" Aichi shrieked, shaking as he watching Ibuki's cold, calculating smile grow.

Uneasiness rattled Aichi, and he finally ran off, desperate to help his friends. He left the park in a flurry, leaves disturbed as he ran towards Card Capital, a warning hanging on his tongue.

The grey haired man watched him go, pocketing his deck, his smile gone but maliciousness still glittering in his eyes.

_I must say, I'm rather impressed with how quickly you spotted my contradictions. But, remember what I said about you being useless without friends? Without allies?_

Ibuki's eyes narrowed.

_Wouldn't it be sad to know... that my deletors have gained a little effect... that will turn your friends against you?_


	5. Chapter 4

**Hey, sorry for not updating for a while. I had to deal with some personal things, but here's the new chapter!**

* * *

Footsteps thudded against the pavement as Aichi ran, wide-eyed and panting. He wasn't in the best shape ever, so running was a bit difficult for him.

_I have to warn them! Ibuki is no friend! He's a fraud that has somehow changed my life! _Aichi thought desperately, heading towards the large "Card Capital sign".

When he walked in, only Miwa and Misaki remained in the shop, both of them chatting over at the counter. From Miwa's flustered look and sheepish smile and Misaki looking quite annoyed, it looked like they were discussing something embarrassing. But they turned to look at Aichi as he stumbled in, startled.

"Yo, Aichi! Is something wrong?" Miwa greeted

"Wh...where's the others!?" Aichi panted, barely having enough breath to speak (Yes, he will even put breathing below his friends.)

"They were going to settle a bet or something at the park." Misaki answered, blinking. "Why? You seem troubled."

"You guys... Ibuki is an enemy!" He declared, and both Misaki and Miwa looked shocked, and he told everything. From their stunned faces, at first Aichi thought they would believe him. After all, they had been his friends for practically a lifetime. But his hopes plummeted when they fixed their expressions with stony looks.

"Ibuki would never do that." Miwa said, but Aichi swore that he suddenly sounded cold.

"B-but! But Kai! Miwa, he was your best friend!"

_Hey! Wait! How did I know that? _Aichi suddenly mused. Miwa looked puzzled as well, but Misaki stepped forward.

"You're lying." She growled, and for the first time ever, Aichi suddenly realized why nobody wanted her angry. "There is no such thing as Kai. You're trying to make us turn against Ibuki."

Miwa, all doubts erased from his face, stepped forward as well, and the bluenet took a startled step back, wide eyed with disbelief.

_Why... why are they so hostile? I was trying to warn them... _Aichi mused, growing dizzy from looking back and forth at their faces.

"Please... you two..." Aichi said weakly, but his voice trailed off when they just took a step forward.

A sudden voice rung in his head. _"Run, my vanguard!"_

From many experiences, even if forgotton, he immediately recognized this voice, and looked down at his pocket. "Blaster Blade?"

_"Just run!" _Blaster Blade pleaded. _"Find a place to hide! I will explain everything from there!" _

The bluenet knew that the choice had to be made. From the looks of the two leering at him, what they were about to do to him was not going to be pleasant, whether Aichi believed it or not. But if he ran, he would erase all doubts that he was an enemy.

But he had nothing to lose, right?

So he ran.

Misaki and Miwa ran after him, shouting after him, and Aichi knew they would catch up with him, considering how fast Aichi has seen them run, and besides, he definitely didn't want to be caught by Misaki (That lady can fricking judo-flip people!)

_Blaster Blade! _He silently pleaded. _They're going to catch up to me! I don't know how, but please lend me strength!_

And as he finished musing, a sudden burst of adrenaline shot through him, and he began to speed up, running as fast as his legs would carry him. Misaki and Miwa's startled yells died away as he ran further, and dove into an alley when he was sure he was out of sight.

Aichi tugged out the card from his pocket, holding up the copy of Blaster Blade he owned, feeling tears pricking his eyes. "Please, my avatar. You promised me an explaination. What's going on?"

The card glowed faintly, and the figure inside the card began to move. Blaster Blade suddenly moved from his proud, regal pose, so he was standing up, staring right at Aichi. The bluenet yelped, nearly dropping the card into a puddle.

_"Oh! I'm sorry, my vanguard, I didn't mean to startle you." _Blaster Blade said, waving his hands.

"Blaster Blade! What's going on! Why are my friends attacking me?!" Aichi cried, and the knight in the card quickly brought a finger to his lips.

_"Please don't raise your voice, my vanguard."_ _He whispered. __"And allow me to explain."_

Aichi leaned in.

_"Why Ibuki has suddenly come forth... why Kai Toshiki is suddenly missing... my best guess is that he is somehow working with a strange force. I believe his deletors gained a new property... a power to delete not just units, but memories, even friendships."_

"So that's why my friends were hostile towards me..." Aichi murmured.

Blaster Blade nodded. _"Exactly. You do not remember, but he has approached you before, and beaten you. But, for some reason, he could not completely delete your memories of Kai. Your bond with him is too strong. It's the same reason why he was able to remember you, find you, and bring you back from the Moon Sanctuary."_

Aichi could barely remember these events as Blaster Blade listed them to him, but he nodded, silently beckoning him to continue.

_"I do not know why he is going through all this trouble." _The Royal Paladin murmured. _"Or what his intention is. But it seems that his heart had not been rid of the evil from the last time you beat him and his deleters, along with Kai. Some hearts cannot be healed, even with time. But, I do know that he is either buying time so you cannot prevent that strange power from growing, or he gives that power more energy with each defeat. Either way, your time is running out."_

"So you're telling me I have to find him now?! How will I do that without my friends?" Aichi's voice was turning shrill.

_"I don't know everything, my vanguard. I will give you all the information I can, but otherwise, that's all I know. You must forge your own path." _

The bluenet narrowed his eyes. "How do you know all this?"

The knight in the card suddenly gave him a playfully sly smile. _"We lead our own lives. And we have our own ways."_

Aichi tried to imagine Blaster Blade pinning himself to a ceiling while Ibuki consolted with a bundle of murky grey clouds.

Blaster Blade frowned. _"I do not have much more time left to consolt to you. But I will say one more thing before I run out of time. You must go towards where the wind blows."_

And then the image shimmered, and Blaster Blade was standing in his normal pose again, not responding as Aichi poked the card's figure.

_The wind? Towards where the wind blows... _Aichi silently recalled, and almost immediately, he thought of Leon, smiling at him as he quoted something about his wind being warm, soothing, confident.

_Of course! For Ibuki to rid of memories, he has to beat the fighter! And he doesn't know where Leon's island is! I can go ask Leon about Kai! _A surge of hope rushed through him. _I need to go find Leon!_


	6. Chapter 5

Aichi felt around his pockets for his phone, and pulled out the slim electronic. The phone case was much like his deck case, which usually made him confused about which was which, but he was glad that he didn't have to sort that out.

He turned it on and began searching through its contents, and through the messaging app he found Leon's number.

_If I called him, I would probably attract Miwa and Misaki. I'll text him. _He decided, and opened up the texting app, hoping Leon would answer.

**Aichi: Hey**

The boy waited with his fingers crossed for him to answer, and he brightened up when Leon responded.

**Leon: Hello, Sendou**

**Aichi: Leon, I seriously need your help**

**Leon: ? Why not call me?**

**Aichi: I'll cause too much commotion. Look, when can we meet? I need to speak to you.**

**Leon: Alright, alright. How about at the Miyaji Academy at 3:00  
**

**Aichi: Alright then, see you then.**

The bright light of the phone shut off as he gently pressed the power button, and looked out of the dark alleyway. Misaki and Miwa had seemed to give up, because they were nowhere in sight. Aichi breathed a sigh of relief. He thought he might have to wait in that alleyway forever, knowing how persistent those two could be. But setting that aside, he walked away, looking around.

Yes, Aichi was right that Miwa and Misaki were not looking for him. And yes, unfortunately, he was right about them being persistent as well, because when Aichi left, Miwa and Misaki's heads popped out of the alley behind the one Aichi was hiding in.

"All clear?" Miwa inquired

"Look around yourself." Misaki sighed exasperately.

They followed Aichi, being as subtle as they could. Miwa glanced at Misaki, seeming suddenly confused. "Nee-chan, why were we tailing him again?"

"He doubted Ibuki, of course." Misaki answered, but she seemed skeptical as well.

"Well... Why were you so aggresive?"

Misaki glared at him. "_We. _Why were _we _so aggressive. Well, I don't know..."

Miwa smiled. "I wouldn't blame him. You are pretty scary." He joked, and sheepishly laughed as he got lightly punched in the arm. Misaki let out a sigh of exasperation.

"Should we apologize?"

"Yeah."

The two nodded at each other, and followed the bluenet towards Miyaji Academy.

* * *

**3:01 PM, Miyaji Academy  
**

Aichi glanced around nervously. Where was Leon? He fidgeted nervously, shifting from foot to foot in front of the Academy, the calming scene of cherry blossom trees extremely unfitting to his nervousness.

"Hey, Sendou."

That familiar noble voice reassured him as he turned to see Leon smiling at him, in his blue uniform outfit. His face displayed sincerity, but his purple eyes displayed concern for why his friend was so scared. The boy cocked his head as Aichi turned to him.

"Leon-kun, thank goodness you're here." Aichi sighed. "I have a couple of questions for you."

Leon raised an eyebrow. "Why not ask me while texting me?"

_Oops! _Aichi wanted to slap himself for his stupidity. He could have simply asked Leon while texting him, instead of asking him to take precious time out of his schedule to come here and answer his questions.

Leon smiled, reading him like an open book. "Don't worry. I don't mind. Ask me."

Aichi took a deep breath, and inquired, "Do you know someone named Kai Toshiki?"

Leon looked startled. "Yes, of course. Why?"

The bluenet wanted to collapse with relief. He had a clue! A clue to getting closer to his soulmate. "The others didn't know, and Ibuki told me to stop looking for him."

The blonde's eyes widened further. "Ibuki?"

Aichi looked at him expectantly, staring at Leon's serious gaze. "Sendou..." Leon mumbled. "Did you not realize that Ibuki has something to do with this?"

Aichi stared at the ground, not noticing Miwa and Misaki approaching. Misaki was about to interrupt, but Miwa put up an arm and held a finger to his mouth, interested in their conversation.

"Yes. Blaster Blade told me that delete has gained a new ability to delete friendships and memories when a battle is lost."

Delete was an ability that temporarily disabled the card's power and abilities, though it could still attack, be ridden, and perform drive checks. "Delete end" was the ability used by Ibuki when a cardfight was won, and the loser's deck was deleted.

Misaki widened her eyes at the information, and nodded, interested in their conversation as well.

Leon looked conflicted. "So this means that if you lose a cardfight to his deletors, you can lose your memories? Sendou, that means that you and your friends were defeated and your memories of Kai were taken."

"I know. Blaster Blade said I could still vaguely remember Kai because my bond with him is too strong." Aichi mumbled. He glanced up at Leon. "Please, do you know anything about him?"

Leon breathed a sigh. "Very well. Kai Toshiki left for Europe, invited by Gaillard. Only the wind knows where he could be now." He stared at Aichi with his startling violet eyes as he dug his phone out of his pocket and turned it on. With some swipes of his finger, he opened his photos and showed him a picture of Kai. Immediately, memories flowed through Aichi, Miwa, and Misaki's mind as they saw the photo of Kai smiling at them. Misaki nearly stumbled into Leon's line of sight when Miwa pulled her back.

"You seem to remember now." Leon sighed. Aichi noticed how hesitant he seemed, and said, "Leon kun... why do you seem so conflicted when giving me this information?"

Leon sighed. "You don't get it do you? Ibuki hasn't fought me yet, meaning I haven't lost my memories yet. He'll approach me sooner or later, and..." He clutched his phone tightly. "I don't want to lose my memories of him."

Aichi nodded. "I understand.."

Leon stared at him again. "Sendou, everything Ibuki does has a reason. His heart has not been cleansed since the last time you have defeated him. In fact, he seems to be more malicious than ever. He's definitely up to something. I don't know what he's helping, or why he is, but I just hope you can be safe."

Aichi smiled and nodded. "I will!"

Leon's gaze softened, and he turned to leave. "Then, may the wind blow for you, Sendou."

Aichi beamed at him one last time before turning the other direction to leave. As he walked towards where Miwa and Misaki were ducking, the blonde tried to hide them again but it was too late. Aichi had spotted them, his nervousness from before returning.

"Y-you two! What are you doing here?!" He stammered, backing away, and Miwa lifted up his hands and gave him a sheepish smile.

"Aichi, we don't mean any harm." He stammered.

Misaki glanced at him, seeming distant. "We heard everything. We came to apologize, and we ended up finding out about Kai." She gave Aichi an apologetic look. "Sorry we doubted you, Aichi."

Aichi nodded and smiled, relieved. "Its fine."

Miwa blinked. "Do you intend to go alone? We can come and help you! After all, friends are important, right?"

Misaki tapped a finger on her chin. "He's in Europe.. We can order airplane tickets."

Aichi smiled, joy blossoming in his heart. "Thanks, you two!"

Miwa grinned, throwing an arm around Aichi, who yelped.

"Cmon, Aichi!" He said "Lets go get my old buddy back!"


	7. Chapter 6

The bedroom was dimly lit by the lamp that sat on Aichi's desk as the bluenet took of his jacket, staring at the sunset at the window.

_If I'm going to go get Kai kun, there's probably going to be challenges along the way. _Aichi thought, tossing his white jacket onto his bed. He took out his cards and laid them out, quickly overlooking them. _I have to be ready to get past anything that blocks my way._

He grasped the card sitting in the front of the row of cards, a familiar white knight with his sacred sword wielded with pride. _Kai kun... I wonder if you remember all the times we had together? Or has Ibuki reached you too?_

Remembering Kai again lit a lightbulb in his head, and he turned to his closet. Sitting under all of the arranged clothing and drawers was a small black box, no bigger than a shoebox. The leather cover felt cold when he touched it and lifted it up, setting it on the table.

_"Here, Aichi." _Kai had said before he departed, handing him the box with a smile that he was able to wear much easier, supposedly thanks to him. _"Something to remember me by while we're apart."_

Aichi hadn't opened the box since then. He swore to himself he would only open it when he was truly homesick. After all, he kinda needed to toughen up, especially with Kai gone. Emi had reminded him a few times, calling him a mess and pretty hopeless.

_I have to start taking care of myself.. _He silently thought, and lifted up the lid. Once he was able to fine the crevice of where the lid and the box met, it opened with a sharp click, the lid propping itself upright the moment it was opened.

Aichi glanced at the contents. Inside, resting on a plush white pillow, was a note from Kai, a gold chain bracelet with a glittering sapphire on it that was one of the sharpest shades of blue Aichi had ever seen, and a vanguard card, face down.

Aichi grabbed the note, reading it first.

_Aichi._

_Here's something to remember me by. I know we will be apart for quite a while, but never forget that our paths will eventually intersect._

_-Kai_

He felt his heart warm as he read over the note, over and over again.

_Yeah.. _He thought. _Our paths will meet. But, perhaps sooner than you would expect, Kai-kun._

Setting the note aside, he turned to look at the bracelet. He slid it on, the icy golden chains sliding easily onto his small wrist. _A perfect fit, _he thought as he gently fingered the small sapphire charm, admiring the depths of blue.

At last, he turned to the vanguard card set face down. He gingerly picked it up, and stared at the card, studying it for a while before letting a smile grace his lips as he set the card next to his laid out deck.

_He knows me so well.. _

He began to study his cards again, looking through and through into his cards, trying to decide what to replace.

_We will meet, no matter how much anyone tries to stop us._

_Nobody will be able to stop our paths from joining._

As he finally reached a decision and replaced one of his cards, he turned off the desk light, collected his cards, and turned to pack his luggage.


	8. Chapter 7

**2 weeks later**

The morning of departure turned out to be quite a messy one.

For one thing, Miwa was in charge of the airplane tickets, but he his plans for everything were so jumbled that it was very inconvinient for everyone except him. When Aichi remembered, he had panicked and stayed up packing.

When he woke up in the morning, he figured he must have really burned himself out looking into his deck, because it was 10:38 AM.

"Ah! Shoot!" He cursed to himself, and stuffed the last things into his bag, hoping he didnt forget anything, and ran outside, messily dragging his stuff behind him.

_If Kai-kun was here, he would scold me for being such a mess.. _He thought amusedly to himself, running to the designated place where they were supposed to meet.

By the time he had reached Card Capital, he was a mess. Aichi had hastily put on his clothes so that his jacket was backwards and he was missing a sock. His hair was unbrushed, and he had forgotten to take something to eat before he left.

Misaki poked out the door and shook her head, glancing crossly at Miwa.

"I told you we shouldn't leave so hastily, idiot!" She snapped, punching the blonde in the head.

Miwa laughed sheepishly, rubbing his head. "W-well, I wanted to leave as soon as possible.."

Shin arrived from the back of the shop, carrying Misaki's luggage. "You all ready to go?"

Aichi blinked in surprise. "You got Shin to help?"

The store manager smiled. "Of course. No matter what the reason, I'm always willing to help you."

Aichi smiled back apprieciatively, and watched as Shin stuffed their belongings into the back of the van. As he tried to keep everything in the trunk, Miwa walked over and let out a sigh so loud that it startled the boy.

"It's about time we got to see Kai again, huh? Waiting two weeks has killed me already." He grinned, swinging an arm around Aichi's neck and leaning on him.

Aichi yelped. "Y-yeah.."

They both reverted their attention back to the van at the sound of a slam. Shin had managed to fit all of their luggage in the trunk, though it seemed very crammed. Misaki and Shin climbed in the front, and Miwa and Aichi found their own spots near the back.

Aichi looked behind him hesitantly. "Um... why is there so much luggage?"

Miwa grinned. "Misaki has a lot of lady stuff, ya know?"

"Miwa! Shut up before I go over there and punch you!"

"Ah! Sorry!"

The van's engine revved as they took off, with Misaki serving as a human GPS. The whole ride, Aichi and Miwa had been staring at their decks, figuring out strategies they could use in different situations.

_If Ibuki makes a move... _Aichi mused, _Will I able to be counter it? Will he be a step ahead of me?_

Aichi sighed. _He probably knows what we're doing by now, right? Does he know yet? _

He looked up at the sky.

_I wonder..._

* * *

**At the island where Leon resides**

Cards scattered on the floor before Leon, for he had dropped his cards in horror and astonishment. Before him was a card table with a cardfight set up, and a certain gray haired man staring at him from the other side of the table, red eyes gleaming coldly.

He had lost.

The blonde grit his teeth, his fists clenching. Ibuki had come so suddenly without any warning, challenging him to a fight with his overpowering deletor deck. Leon glanced over where Jillian and Sharlene were also beaten, both of the girls out cold.

He looked back up defiantly at Ibuki, who had collected his deck back together, the cards held right beside his pocket. This man had beaten him so easily. His clan, Aqua Force, was mercilessly deleted one by one, and Leon could only stand back and watch as his cards would go blank and forced to be retired.

"Souryu Leon." Ibuki said in a dangerously calm tone. "I believe you do know what happens when you lose against my deletors?" when Leon didn't respond, he went on. "You were a fool to believe you could defeat me. Same to that Suzugamori Ren."

The blonde bared his teeth, and stared up furiously at Ibuki as he walked up closer. "But... before I erase your memories..."

Leon widened his eyes as he was suddenly thrown back against the wall. Pain jolted through his body as he crashed against the wall. Ibuki must have had the reflexes of a god, being right in front of Leon the next moment, hands enclosing his throat and squeezing tightly.

Ibuki's face barely looked like he was using any strength as he grasped Leon's throat, expression unreadable as the boy thrashed in his iron grip.

"Tell me everything you know."

"I.. won't tell you anything!" Leon snarled, only to gasp and choke as the choking grip became tighter. His vision was beginning to blur, but the cold, ruthless look in Ibuki's eyes were as clear as ever, as he quietly repeated his sentence, this time more firmly.

"Tell me everything you know."

Leon coughed. Judging from Ibuki's steeled look, he was willing to choke Leon to death if he couldn't spout out any information. He grit his teeth.

_I'm sorry, Sendou. _He thought, as he closed his eyes.

"Aichi and the others- they're going to Europe to find Kai." He choked. "They're going to beat you.. and they will!" He spat, and Ibuki's eyes narrowed as he let go of Leon's throat. The blonde feel on the floor, gasping for breath as Ibuki straightened, raising a hand.

"Delete end." He said coldly. The words seemed to ring in Leon's ears as his fingers snapped. The blonde watched weakly as his cards became blank. He gave Ibuki a final angered glare before closing his eyes, his memories soon to be erased.

Ibuki walked out the door, looking up at the blue sky that he knew would soon be soiled of its beauty, as when Void rised again, the soft blue pastel color would be stained with the sharpest colors of blood red.

He looked up as his albino raven cawed and perched on his shoulder, feet shifting nervously. He knew very well how much his friend hated to fly in places with lots of light, and he gently stroked its head.

"No matter what." He murmured to himself. "Void will rise, with or without me. And no one will be able to change that."


	9. Chapter 8

After finally getting through all of the security checks and airport hassle, they were outside.

Aichi stared up at the blue sky. Clouds were littered across the sky, casting a gentle shadow on the earth below.

Miwa and Misaki were both pacing, looking around. They had been like this the whole airplane ride, wanting to meet Kai as soon as possible. Aichi had heard them curse under their breath many times at how slow they were going, and one time they even had to hold Misaki back from attacking the pilots and just driving the plane herself.

Now, they had to wait even more for Gaillard to arrive and pick them up.

More swearing and cursing. The bluenet watched them anxiously as they glanced down at their watches. Aichi was much more patient than them, and much more passive. But he couldn't really blame them. Deep inside, he felt a tugging feeling to just run and find Kai at all and any cost.

After what felt like an hour, a sleek black car finally arrived at the curb, the driver inside of course, Gaillard.

"Hey." The teal haired man greeted.

They exchanged greetings, and stuffed their belongings in the trunk, then got in the car with him. As the car started up again, the gentle hum of the car engine was the only sound that was somewhat pleasant other than Miwa and Misaki's pacing.

"You two seem awfully anxious." Gaillard noted, and Aichi smiled apologetically.

"Don't mind them. They're just really anxious to see Kai." He said

Gaillard frowned. "Well, if everything is alright, Kai should be at the mansion. The kids aren't there today, Neve is playing with them at a park. I doubt that they'll be around for the rest of the day."

Aichi nodded assent, and turned to look at Miwa and Misaki. Both of them still looked nervous, but they looked okay.

Gaillard had asked him a few more questions about why they had come with such short notice, and Aichi did his best to answer, careful to leave out any details about Ibuki. He didn't want Gaillard to get nervous as well.

They finally arrived, and Aichi muttered under his breath as Miwa zoomed out of the car, manners completely forgotten. Though, Gaillard seemed more amused than bothered.

"You're friend runs around like a mouse." The former Quatre Knight commented. Aichi stuttered to answer, mostly because he was still embarrassed by his companion's rash actions. But before he could form coherent words, Miwa gestured them over to the entrance, looking grim.

He was on his toes, looking through the peephole. As they came over, he put a finger to his lips.

"Wait, what? I can open the door for you.." Gaillard muttered. Once again, Aichi apologized at his compainion's rudeness, though this time he was just as agitated as them.

As he glanced through the peephole, the first thing he noticed was Kai. He was just as gorgeous as he remembered, brunet hair spiked and stony green eyes.

But, as he looked closer, he could see traces of sweat on his face, and fear and uncertainty in his eyes, and Aichi knew why.

He was staring directly at Ibuki.

The grey haired man was standing on the opposite side of Kai, a shadow looming over him and giving him a dark outlook. Ibuki was talking, a deck ready to go in his hands. Kai shouted something back, but Ibuki shook his head and muttered something.

"Gaillard." He whispered, trying to keep his tone kind. "Can you open the door for us?"

The french man cursed in French before smiling back at Aichi, bringing out a set of keys out of his pocket. He unlocked the door, and the two large mahogany doors swung open.

Ibuki raised an eyebrow, before his expression morphed into horror. Kai looked happy to see his mates, but at the same time he looked fearful, like he saw a venomous snake on their shoulders and was praying that it didn't bite them.

"What are you doing here?" Ibuki's tone was cold, but Aichi knew he was scared. He frowned, and walked up to them.

"How did you get here so quickly?" Aichi inquired, and Ibuki frowned.

"You're teleporters to the moon sanctuary were easy to replicate, with the right materials." Ibuki said, scowling.

"Wait a minute..." Gaillard's confused voice rang out from behind them. "What's going on?!"

Aichi didn't know where to start, and began stuttering for words again. "Um, well, you see-"

"Aichi."

He was interrupted by Kai, and he immediately turned to look at him obediently. "Kai-kun?"

Kai's anguished expression was shining with traces of sweat, and his eyes were rimmed with white.

"Aichi..." He murmured weakly. "You should have never come here."


End file.
